Search Lights
by Thirrin73
Summary: The locals are strange and there's something about the lake that just does not sit right with her. Odd shapes caught in photos and eyes under the water - Sakura isn't so sure she wants to get to the bottom of this mystery. [KiriSaku - KisaSaku, ChojuSaku, SuiSaku, ZabuSaku, and some platonic HakuSaku]
1. Chapter 1

_**Search Lights**_

 **\- Chapter One -**

 **::**

"And you're _sure_ none of the neighbors are secretly axe murderers, one wrong word away from chopping me up and using the bits for fish bait?"

A pause.

"It's a left onto Greengrove, right?" Sakura frowned at her windshield, squinting at an upcoming sign and waited for a reply. She nudged her scarf down slightly and pursed her lips, resisting the urge to tap her phone screen and make sure the call hadn't ended.

 _"Well, Zabuza has definitely killed a man, but I can't vouch for the others. And, yes, a left onto Greengrove."_

"Hakuuu!" She could hear his laugh through the speakers of her car and she shot a glare down at her cell, groaning under her breath while she could practically _hear_ the amused smile in his voice. "I'm being _serious_ , Haku. If I get murdered, my death is on _your_ hands."

She'd been driving for a little over three and a half hours, the city and her cozy apartment far behind as she traveled deeper into the countryside and into the woods. The sun was high in the sky by now, the rays breaking through the canopy overhead and dotting her path with pretty beams, but each glimpse of the sky she spotted was marbled with the bleak colors of a November chill. The road she was following was fairly well-maintained and the small town she'd passed through only about ten minutes ago, before entering the forest proper, had seemed relatively pleasant enough, but it had been nearly a year since her last visit to Haku's lake-house and she still insisted that the location was spooky.

Lake Kiri, oh so appropriately named, was perpetually shrouded in mist and fog, rarely clearing even in the middle of summer, and she was _not_ looking forward to house-sitting the lakeside home for three weeks. But, she owed her friend a favor and the location _could_ provide some nice shots for her portfolio.

Adjusting the heater, Sakura turned onto the next road and allowed her frown to deepen, imagining the pretty young man's amused face clearly in her mind.

 _"I'm just joking, Sakura; don't worry."_ He gave another muffled chuckle at her derisive snort and continued. _"Zabuza is ex-military and my other neighbor is a police officer. Even_ if _a serial killer were to pop up on the lake, you'd be perfectly safe."_

She held back her mumble of "I bet the cop thing is just an act and they keep their victims in their basement," and sighed, continuing down the road until it branched again. Flicking on her blinker on reflex, Sakura turned right onto a well-tread rocky road and took a sip of lukewarm coffee from her thermos.

" _Fine_ , but I'm not socializing with the locals."

 _"Aw,"_ Came Haku's equally pretty voice, _"I'm sure you'll like Zabuza well enough when you meet him. He's supposed to drop off a- Oh!"_

She glanced down at her phone when he cut himself off suddenly, both wondering what had caught his attention and what he'd meant by meeting one of his neighbors.

 _"I think I see your car! I'll meet you outside, hang on."_

Sakura could only let out a short hum of agreement before Haku ended the call and she broke through the tree line.

The road melted into a driveway that led up to the nice-looking house, the lawn lush with green grass and a few trees standing tall outside the building. Behind it, Sakura could see the lake – her lips thinning at the sight of rolling wisps of fog – and the small boathouse off to the side. The ground sloped up slightly, leading to the house, and Sakura could vividly remember the living room inside that looked out over the lake, part of the house supported by sturdy framework as it extended out over the water. Just as he'd said, Haku was waiting outside, standing on the porch and waving in greeting as she pulled up next to his jeep.

He quickly ran towards her when she parked, skipping the last two steps, a bright smile on his face and his enviously-long, black hair pulled up into a bun. The moment she stepped out of her car, she was tackled into a hug and nearly knocked over by the taller boy.

"It's so good to see you!" A pause as he pulled back to look her over, holding her at arm's-length. "You cut your hair!"

Smiling sheepishly, Sakura reached up to run her fingers through her pixie cut before dropping her hand to play with her scarf. "It's only been a month since you were in Konoha! And, yeah, the hair is... well, it's new."

Haku gave a soft laugh and reached up to ruffle her hair, his brown eyes sparkling and excited.

"I like it! It's cute." At her pleased smile, he continued. "And I only got to visit for a day last time. I _missed_ you, Sakura."

Bright smile returning, Haku quickly pulled her close for another hug and pecked her cheek before moving to help her grab her luggage, chatting happily as they approached his house.

"I've got a couple hours before I need to get going so we can hang out for a bit, and, I promise, I'll treat you to dinner as thanks when I get back."

"Sounds like a deal." Bulky camera bag slung over her shoulder, Sakura followed Haku up the porch and locked her car behind her, the tips of her ears turning red in response to the chill in the air.

"Seriously, I can't thank you enough for this, Sakura. Usually I'm fine with leaving the house by itself – Zabuza stops by to water my plants if I'm gone for a while – but this is longest trip I've taken yet and I can't take the rabbits with me nor do I want to _leave_ them with someone else for so long."

As if on cue, and no more than two steps past the door, two small masses of fur – one white and one grey – came bounding towards the pair, circling Haku's feet before pausing next to her, sniffing her pants legs and boots. Smiling, Sakura crouched down and held her hand out, expression brightening when the pair quickly investigated, their noses pressed to her palm before the white rabbit gave her hand a lick, her little black paws on her knee, and the grey bun quickly circled her a couple times.

Haku paused, setting her suitcase aside, and chuckled under his breath as he crouched down as well, stroking the white rabbit.

"Looks like Mochi and Pebble remember you, Sakura. You're one of the few lucky people they've taken a shine to over the years."

With an amused grin, she reached over to pet Pebble, the smaller of the pair, when she stopped next to her free hand. Sakura's ran her fingers over the darker grey spots on her forehead before she glanced up at the sound of soft thumps, smile faltering slightly.

Haku's third and final rabbit, smaller than Mochi but larger than Pebble and covered in black fur marbled with brown spots, was watching them, crouched a few feet away and her brown ear twitching. A little hesitantly, Sakura held out a hand and waited before her expression fell into a deadpan when the bunny simply turned and hopped away, kicking her back feet up at Sakura.

"And Marzipan still hates me."

Giggling to himself, Haku gave Mochi's ears a few final scratches before standing and taking Sakura's arm, leading her further into the house as the rabbits followed after them.

"She'll warm up to you after you feed her, don't worry. I think she knows I'm leaving so she's acting a little passive aggressive. Now! Let's get you settled in and I'll make some hot chocolate."

 **::**

An hour and a half later found the pair on Haku's couch, a second batch of hot cocoa in hand and the rabbits lazing around them. With Mochi in her lap, Pebble flopped next to her thigh, and Marzipan tucked under Haku's knee as he sat cross-legged, Sakura inputted the list of emergency contacts and general numbers of importance into her phone while he flipped through one of her photo portfolios. Absentmindedly stroking the white bun, she glanced up to gaze out the glass doors leading to the small terrace that looked out over the misty lake for a moment before returning her attention to the list, pausing on the last name.

"You mentioned me probably meeting this Zabuza guy, right?" She finally asked as she finished keying in his number. Haku glanced up, expression shifting to one of remembrance before he nodded.

"Oh! Yes, he's supposed to be dropping off a package for me when he gets back from town later this afternoon. I'll be gone by then, but he already knows you'll be here."

"And _who_ exactly is he again? You've mentioned him several times already but I don't think I know him."

He smiled at her confused expression, chuckling under his breath before carefully closing her portfolio.

"Zabuza is one of my neighbors – his home is the house closest to mine – and he's been living on the lake for years longer than I have." When she nodded in reply, his smiled turned a little more teasing, a playful glint in his eyes. "Big scary guy – could probably crush a man's skull with just his hands if he tried hard enough. And definitely an axe murderer."

Sakura sent him an unamused look and he laughed, reaching down to pet Marzipan's back.

"Kidding, kidding. He's a little intimidating at first, but a really nice guy once you get to know him. I think you'll get along."

Lips pursed, she slowly nodded, leaning back into the couch and smiling fondly when Pebbled shifted, moving to hop up next to Mochi. Sakura hummed under her breath for a moment before glancing over at Haku, eyebrow quirked and her mug of hot chocolate at her lips.

"And what about the other locals? Anyone to... watch out for?"

He reached over to massage the white bunny's ear and looked thoughtful, turning his gaze out over the lake view.

"Chōjūrō, the police officer, is my other immediate neighbor and he's really sweet, if a little shy. Do you still like to take early morning jogs?" At her nod, he continued, leaning back slightly when Marzipan moved out from under his knee and halfway into his lap. "Then you'll probably meet him if you use the trail that circles the lake – he's up for runs pretty early in the day."

A pause as he took a sip of his hot cocoa.

"There are only seven houses around the lake and the two vacant ones are next to each other on the other side of Chōjūrō's property. I've never personally met Zabuza's other neighbor, Kisame, but they're close friends so I hear about him sometimes." He shrugged, brushing his long, parted bangs over his shoulder. "He works at home and he's a bit of a recluse, so I doubt you'll meet him."

"And the last neighbor?"

Here, Haku's lips pursed into a frown and he looked back at the lake, expression dry as he pointed into the distance.

"Suigetsu is a... _character_. He lives on the other side of the lake from me, fortunately. He's, er... frustrating." Sighing, he rubbed his forehead, obliging the brown rabbit with chin scratches when she nudged his free hand. "His brother is a lot nicer – more tolerable, at least – but I think he's in Europe at the moment."

A dutiful nod.

"So I should keep some pepper spray in hand if I happen to meet a 'Suigetsu', got it."

Haku's laugh was immediate and he quickly cooed down at the rabbits when they all jumped in surprise, composing himself as he grinned at Sakura.

"No, no! He's not a _bad guy_ or anything, just a little annoying. Suigetsu keeps to himself usually, so I don't think you'll end up meeting him." She still looked a little dubious and he chuckled under his breath, sending her a lopsided smile. "Every town has that one kooky local – Suigetsu just so happens to fit that bill."

It was about then that Haku pulled out his own cellphone and checked the time, giving a reluctant sigh as he gently moved Marzipan out of his lap.

"It's about time I got going." Lips turning down in a frown as he rose from his spot on the couch, he glanced around and mused aloud. "I already gave you the rabbits' meal times and showed you where their supplies are..."

"Did you need help loading up your luggage?" Pebble and Mochi begrudgingly hopped out of her lap as Sakura moved to stand as well, all three of buns piling up next to each other as the Haku tried to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything.

"No, no, I packed up the jeep earlier this morning. You've got the vet's number and you said you still remember their general care routine – what else, what else..."

The pair moved out of the living room, Haku absentmindedly pocketing his phone and wallet, and towards the kitchen, the young man gesturing towards the fridge.

"Everything is pretty stocked up but keep receipts if you do any extra grocery shopping so that I can pay you back." He quickly pressed his fingers to her lips when she looked like she was going to argue, his smile unfaltering. "And that's not a request. It's the least I can do!"

After spending a few moments to show her where various items and appliances were in the kitchen, they headed back towards the front door.

"WiFi password is on the nightstand next to the bed, I showed you where the laundry room is earlier, and, oh! The pizza place in town _does_ deliver, just mention my name when they ask for the address. What am I forgetting?"

They'd finally made it to the door and Haku's eyebrows were furrowed, his hands patting his pockets before he glanced over at the foyer table next to the entrance and his expression brightened with realization.

"Keys!"

Sakura accepted the ring of keys that he plucked out of a glass bowl on the table, checking a few of them over for a moment to find that they were all labeled. Grabbing his car keys from the bowl as well, Haku reached for a coat hung up on the coat rack next to the foyer table, sending her a smile as he pulled it on.

"House key, key to the boat house – feel free to use it if you're in the mood for a ride on the lake, and my PO Box key." The rabbits had joined them at this point, hopping up Haku as they seemed to realize that he was leaving and, smiling softly, he crouched down to offer goodbyes and pets. It was only a few moments later before he finally stood and pulled Sakura in for a hug, pecking her cheek once more.

"Give me a call if anything comes up or if you have any questions, okay?"

Smiling, she quickly returned the hug and moved to open the door for him when they separated, nodding as she replied and pocketed the keys.

"Have fun, Haku, and drive safe. I'll keep you updated on how things are going!"

He gave a final coo to the buns before finally heading towards his jeep, sending Sakura a wave as he moved to climb in.

"See you in a few weeks, Sakura! And thanks again!"

She was careful not to let the rabbits run out, waving in reply and watching Haku back up and travel down the driveway. She waited until he disappeared through the trees before returning inside, rubbing at her arms to beat back the short chill from outside. The bunnies waited at the door for a few moments longer, Mochi standing up on her hind legs while Pebble and Marzipan sniffed at the bottom of the door, before they finally moved away and followed after her. Sakura shuffled carefully into the living room as the grey rabbit wove between her feet and, with a stretch, she pulled her phone out of her back pocket.

"You guys still have a couple hours until your official dinner time but Haku said your hay rack might need a refill about now. I'll check on that and then we can see if he left his Netflix logged in..."

 **::**

After the rabbits had been fed their fresh veggies and Sakura triple-checked to make sure their water bowls were full of clean water, she turned her attention to the fridge, hands on her hips as she tried to decide what to make for herself. There were a few toys scattered around the kitchen as Mochi hanged out around her, the other two buns running and playing in the living room with more toys, and she was careful to watch her step as she moved towards the pantry.

Eventually settling on a simple sandwich, Sakura prepared her dinner and grabbed a bottle of water before returning to the living room. She took her seat on the couch, legs crossed and tucked close and the rabbits burning off energy on the carpeted floor, and returned her attention to the TV. _Aladdin_ was still paused, only about ten minutes into the movie – just as she'd left it, and she only made it a few scenes in before there was a sudden knock at the door.

She, of course, jumped in surprise and the rabbits froze, their attention turning in the direction of the front door, and Sakura glanced over her shoulder. Frowning to herself, she hesitated for a moment before finally remembering what Haku had said about his neighbor dropping off a package. She shrugged to herself, guessing that it was the neighbor at the door, and moved to stand, veering off her path to the front of the house to slip into the kitchen and leave her food on a counter, out of reach of the buns.

Sakura ran her fingers through her short hair as she approached the front door, unlocking it before carefully pulling it open and pausing as she stared up at the man in front of her.

He looked like he could very well be an entire foot taller than her, his shoulders broad and entire build muscular, and Sakura blinked as she took in his appearance, remembering Haku's brief description of 'Zabuza'.

If the man standing in front of her was, in fact, this mysterious Zabuza, _intimidating_ was pretty damn accurate.

He was dressed pretty light considering the chill in the air of the early evening, the sleeves of his dark blue hoodie pushed halfway up his forearms and the jacket itself open over a black shirt. He was wearing a scarf, Sakura noted in slight relief, but it hid most of his lower face from view and she was left taking in the few details that she _could_ see.

Short, messy, black hair and hard brown eyes that were narrowed as he looked her over as well, and shit, she'd been staring, hadn't she?

"May I help you?"

He watched her for a moment longer, one hand shoved into the pocket of his jeans while the other held a package tucked up under his arm. The man gave a short huff and glanced over her shoulder before refocusing his steely gaze on her, shifting his weight to his other foot.

"You must be the _friend_ that's house-sitting." He finally replied, his voice deep but muffled behind the grey scarf. "Haku said you'd probably be here when I stopped by. Did he leave already?"

She resisted the urge to chew on her lip and moved out from behind the door to face him fully, suspicions confirmed.

"Yes and yes, he left a couple hours ago. I'm Sakura Haruno – you must be Zabuza?"

His posture shifted slightly, shoulders relaxing into a slight slouch, and he gave a curt nod before holding out the package.

"Good, he told you I'd be stopping by." Another grunt as he nodded at her and she held back her frown, lips pressed tightly together.

"Zabuza Momochi," When she moved to accept the box, she caught the slight change in his expression and realized that he was smirking at her from behind his scarf. "Welcome to Lake Kiri."

She offered him an awkward smile in an attempt to hide her sudden nervousness.

"Oh, uhm, thanks, Zabuza." Feeling the need to keep the conversation going, if just to be a polite, she shuffled her feet and rubbed the back of her head. "Do you have any tips as a local? Any places in town to recommend?"

There was another change in his expression, gaze cold and hard set as he looked down at her and an icy chill passed over the pair.

"Don't go in the water."

Sakura froze, eyes going wide as her gaze flickered to the side and she resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder.

Grip tightening around the box, she watched him hesitantly.

"W-why..? Is there something wr-"

His snort cut her off and he gave her a very dry look.

"It's November. Even if the lake isn't frozen over, the water is still colder than a snowman's ass. You'll just end up with hypothermia."

The flush on her face was both due to the cold air and her embarrassment and Sakura coughed awkwardly into her fist, green gaze dropping down to the side as she mentally berated herself.

 _Duh,_ Sakura.

"R-right, of course. Thanks for the heads up..."

His amused grunt only furthered her embarrassment and Zabuza slipped his free hand into his pocket, that smirk returning as he watched her.

"There's a bakery next to the post office." He said after a moment and she glanced up, pink eyebrow quirked. "I recommend the blueberry glazed."

She gave him a slow, nod in thanks and they stood silently for a few seconds before he shifted his weight to his other leg again. Rolling his shoulders in a shrug, he tipped his head towards her in a final nod as his gaze turned oddly thoughtful.

"Anyways, I'll get going. Nice meeting you. Haku gave you my number?"

(It didn't particularly _sound_ like he meant it, but she appreciated the sentiment. He looked like he was more annoyed with the niceties than he was letting on, but she wasn't about to say anything about it.)

At her nod, he turned, walking down the porch and towards a truck that she now noticed parked next to her car, a hand lifting from his pocket as he offered a short wave in farewell.

"O-oh! Nice meeting you too, Zabuza. Have a good night?"

She received a nod in reply and, in moments, he was making his way down the driveway and into the trees. Sakura stared after him for a few seconds, gaze following the glow of his brake lights, before she let out a sigh of relief, shoulders relaxing. Package tucked under her arm, she ran her fingers through her hair and quickly went back inside, taking a moment to lock the door once more.

She could now put a face to a name, one of four, and while first impressions hadn't been _too_ terrible, she wasn't sure how she felt about this Zabuza guy. Intimidating, for sure. But she had a feeling that he had been trying not to act _too_ sour towards her. Still, he was apparently pretty close friends with Haku, so that was reason enough to attempt to be friendly with him.

Hopefully she'd have similar luck with the other neighbors.

 **::**

While the rabbits had their own cute little beds tucked into their large corner of Haku's bedroom, complete with toys, fleece blankets, a little hidey-house, and bowl of water, Sakura wasn't too surprised when she felt one hop up onto the bed later that night, sniffing at her face as she let out a groan. She couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour and a quick peak at her phone confirmed that it was just past midnight. Rolling over onto her back, Sakura absentmindedly stroked the bun that was snuggling up against her chest, its nose tucked under her chin, and managed to spot white fur in the darkness of the room.

Draping an arm over her eyes, she let out a tired yawn.

Only to pause as her ears picked up the distant sound of water splashing.

Eyebrows furrowed, Sakura lowered her arm and glanced to her left - towards the window that faced the lake. Lips pursed, she listened for a moment longer and was just about to pass it off as her imagination when she heard far-away splashes again, Mochi nuzzling at her jaw as she frowned to herself.

Mumbling an apology to the rabbit, she slowly sat up and ultimately tucked the bun against her side when she didn't hop off of her lap. Carefully supporting Mochi with her arm, Sakura slid off the edge of the bed and moved towards the windows, a hand raised to brush through her messy pink hair. With the rabbit snuggled into the crook of her arm, she pulled back a white curtain and peered out at misty lake, gaze narrowed as she tried to see anything through the rolling clouds of fog.

The moon bathed the lake with a soft glow, making the entire scene rather eerie and Sakura tried to convince herself that the chill creeping up her spine was completely plausible considering the cold weather. Fortunately, she saw no eyes in the mist or figures out on the water or spooky, unidentifiable shadows and, with a tired groan, she told herself that it was _nothing_ , thank you very much.

Still, she was sure to double check the locks on the windows before pulling the curtains back into place, finally returning to the bed and mumbling a goodnight to Mochi when she took up a spot on her stomach, the pair quickly falling back asleep.

Had Sakura stayed at the window just a minute longer, she would have surely seen the distant _shape_ rise out of the water, the fog drifting around it for a moment before it sank back down below the surface of the lake.

 **::**

 **notes:** a short fic im doing for Halloween ft kiri boys and sakuraaaa. hope you enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

**_Search Lights_**

 **\- Chapter Two –**

 **::**

Sakura awoke to the sound of her alarm and the feeling of a warm weight on her back.

Face pressed into the pillow, she groggily noted that she must have rolled over and fallen asleep on her stomach at some point during the night and muffled her groan as she reached for her cellphone. Turning off the alarm, she ran her fingers through her short hair and shifted, eyebrows furrowing as she fully acknowledged the small creature sleeping on the small of her back.

"Mochiii," She mumbled into the pillow, half-heartedly reaching back and attempting to nudge the rabbit, "You gotta move. I need to get uuup."

When the rabbit didn't move, Sakura slowly began to roll over, hoping that the movement would convince the bun to hop off her back. She was nearly on her side when she felt the weight shift, sliding off of her and onto the mattress.

She sat up and, with a moment of surprise, realized that it was _Marzipan_ that had been sleeping on her, the rabbit sending her a sleepy glance as her ears twitched. Glancing towards the rabbits' corner, she could see Mochi and Pebble piled up on one of the small pet-beds and, with a yawn, she gave a quick stretch. The black rabbit replied with a small yawn as well before moving to nestle under her pillow, chasing the lingering warmth of Sakura's body heat.

Shrugging to herself, she simply grabbed her phone and slid off of the bed, stumbling towards the bathroom as she rubbed at her face. It was still fairly early in the morning – earlier than the time Haku said the rabbits were usually up and about – and Sakura deemed this a perfect time to get a jog out of the way, moving to wash her face and freshen up.

Minutes later, she was dressed in a light hoodie, sweatpants, and her workout shoes, sparing a few moments to clean the rabbits' litter box, restock their hay rack with fresh hay, and double check their water bowls before heading to the kitchen. A bottle of water in hand and the ring of keys and her phone in her pocket, Sakura set out, popping an earbud in as she closed the front door behind her. She was met with a blanket of early-morning fog, thick mist drifting over Haku's lawn and stretching out towards the nearby trees, and she frowned to herself in distaste, lips pursed as she pulled up the hood of her jacket.

Still, the sun was rising and there was no point in wasting the morning.

Remembering Haku's directions to the hiking path that circled the lake, Sakura broke out in a brisk walk and eventually found herself threading through the forest, following the well-tread path as she breathed the crisp morning air in through her nose. Through the breaks in the trees, she could occasionally see the edge of the lake in the distance, the mist even thicker as it floated over the still water. Taking note of the time, Sakura turned her focus to the path, watching out for rocks or fallen tree limbs and losing herself in her thoughts as her body went into autopilot as she jogged.

She planned on only running for about fifteen minutes before turning back for the return home – a short half hour jog to get a feel for the lake and hoping to eventually work out a schedule where she could run the full path in the mornings. Lake Kiri wasn't a particularly large lake, only about seven miles long in its circumference, but she didn't want to leave the rabbits alone for too long just yet and she was still convinced that the place was creepy.

The path curved inwards, following the crescent shape of the lake, and Sakura was only about ten minutes into her morning jog when she became aware of a voice calling behind her.

She slowed unsurely, pausing the music that was playing on her phone and popping out the earbud as she glanced over her shoulder after convincing herself that _no_ , she should _not_ start running at a full sprint. Fortunately, the fog wasn't too thick and the figure behind her _didn't_ emerge from the mist like something out of a horror movie.

Instead, the young man jogging after her offered a wave as he neared, fairly easy to see through the early-morning mist, and Sakura could get a better look of him as he approached her.

He was dressed in a light blue shirt and black athletics pants, though he seemed unbothered by the chill in the air. There was a light sheen of sweat on his forehead, making his short sky-blue hair stick to his skin, and he adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses as he stopped, offering Sakura a sheepish smile.

"Hah, s-sorry-" He took a moment to catch his breath and Sakura allowed her gaze to travel over the well-toned muscles of his arms and the way his shirt clung to the rest of his torso, brushing back the hood of her jacket as she regarded him.

"Sorry to bother you, but I-" He cut himself off again, holding up one of his hands and showing her what suspiciously looked like Haku's keys. "I saw this while I was- Well, I'm just wondering if they're yours..?"

Blinking in surprise, Sakura pat the pockets of her jacket before frowning, turning her attention to her hoodie fully as she realized that, _yes_ , her pockets were empty. Glancing back up at the man, she returned the sheepish smile and rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, reaching out to accept the keys.

"Shit, yeah, those're my keys. I must have dropped them earlier..."

He smiled, nodding in understanding before gesturing back the way he'd come. "I, ah, saw them while I was running the trail and figured someone must have lost them. Then I saw you around the bend and, well..."

Sending him a thankful look, Sakura pocketed the keyring once more and tried to fight down her embarrassed flush, hoping she could just pass it off as a byproduct of the chilly morning. As much as she would have liked to believe that she probably would have seen the keys on her way back, she'd been so lost in her thoughts earlier that she most likely would have just passed them by.

And ended up locked out of Haku's house.

"Seriously," she started, stuffing her hands into the pocket of her hoodie, "I can't thank you enough, uhm...?"

Sakura trailed off when she realized she didn't know the man's name, hoping her question was obvious enough with the look she sent him.

"Oh!" Luckily, he seemed to understand. "I'm Chōjūrō."

Neighbor number two, check.

"I..." Rubbing the back of his neck, Chōjūrō glanced from her to the direction of the lake, an eyebrow quirked when he returned his attention to Sakura. "I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you new in town?"

"Sakura." She answered, rocking on her heels. "And, oh, no, no. I'm just house-sitting for Haku!"

His smile lessened slightly at that, dark eyes glancing towards the lake again.

"You're staying on the la-?" Cutting himself off, Chōjūrō absentmindedly bit his lower lip before sending her a weak smile. "House-sitting? Haku's place? Is he- Uhm, he's out of town then?"

Sakura hesitated with her reply, catching how he responded – even less relaxed, a nervous twitch at his finger, his gaze unable to keep from drifting to the water – and deciding to mentally file it away for future reference.

"He's gone to the Polar Rhapsody in Salekhard." At his confused look she quickly continued, one hand leaving the jacket's pocket to fiddle with the drawstring for the hood. "International ice and snow sculpture contest in Russia. He'll be back in few weeks, so I'm watching his house and taking care of the rabbits."

Chōjūrō gave a slow nod of understanding, absentmindedly rubbing his arm as his lips thinned with a thoughtful frown. When his attention focused on Sakura once more he looked like he wanted to say something but, after his jaw clenched and he gave her that sheepish smile again, the young man simply offered her a wave in farewell.

"Well I, ah- I gotta finish my run before I head into the station." A pause, his expression friendly. "Was nice meeting you. See you around, Sakura?"

She returned the smile, nodding in reply before waving as well. "Yeah! I'm sure I'll bump into you again. Nice meeting you too, Chōjūrō."

Tamping the toe of his shoe into the ground, he gave his chin a quick scratch before continuing down the trail once more, breaking into a brisk jog and disappearing through the trees.

 _'Nice guy.'_ Sakura thought to herself, double-checking to make sure the keys were in her pocket before heading back the way she and Chōjūrō had come. _He_ didn't seem like the axe-murdering sort and perhaps she wouldn't mind sharing a run with him in the mornings to come. Rolling her shoulders in a shrug and pulling up her hood once more, she made her way back towards Haku's house, humming under her breath along to the music in her ear.

Slipping back into the lake house, Sakura was immediately met with the rabbits as all three of the little critters circled around her, sniffing at her shoes and peering up at her curiously.

"Breakfast time?"

She lost herself in her thoughts as she fed the rabbits, rubbing at her arms to fight back the chill from the morning and, when the buns were taken care of, Sakura bee-lined for the bathroom. A quick steamy shower to wash away the last of the cold and she dressed in clean, comfortable clothes, satisfied with her morning.

And the rest of the day passed uneventfully.

She spent the rest of her time playing with the rabbits, making sure they were happy and active and grooming them when they decided to settle down, and laying around with the three during the blissful rest periods. Between her laptop and the TV and the bunnies, she didn't really have a moment to be bored and Sakura went to bed that night after a status update with Haku, fully expecting to fall into a simple routine in the days to come.

Snuggled up under the warm covers, it was no wonder that Sakura slept peacefully through the night. Her sleep went uninterrupted and the dying wail of an animal that sounded at some point during the night, a quick cry of anguish before a sharp silence fell once more, was much too far in the distance to have awoken Sakura, much less be heard even if she was awake.

 **::**

The night passed and morning came and Sakura woke up feeling well-rested and relaxed, a content smile on her face. Pebble was on her chest this morning, nose under her chin and little grey paws tucked under the rest of her body. After giving the rabbit a few good morning strokes, Sakura carefully set her aside and rolled out of bed, hands in the air as she stretched and let out a comfortable groan.

And the morning routine repeated.

Sakura was only about twenty minutes into her jog, hoping to cover more ground today, when she broke through the trees, following the path as it passed over a slight hill. The lake laid to her almost immediate right and the edge of the hill sloped down to the water, tall grass and reeds traveling up the almost-cliff, and Sakura paused, looking out over the misty water. The lake stretched on into the distance, the opposite shore lost through the fog, and she shoved her hands into the pocket of her hoodie as she took in a deep breath of the chilly air.

In the horizon, the first few rays of the sun began to appear and she allowed herself a few moments to watch the sunrise, cheeks pink with a flush from the cold morning. She could hear birds calling in the forest behind her and a breeze blew through the tree limbs, adding to the quiet and serenity but fortunately not cutting through the barrier of her jacket.

After she had her fill of watching the dawn break, Sakura turned and reached her arms behind her, sighing happily when her joints popped and shuffling her feet before she paused, frowning down at her shoes. Untied laces, of course – she'd noticed that one shoe felt a little loose.

Crouching down to retie her shoelace, it was only due to a chance glance to her right that she noticed the splatter of red coating the grass about two feet off the path.

Sakura froze, quickly identifying the red as _blood_ , before she turned her searching eyes to the rest of the surrounding flora, her heart beginning to race. The blood splatter was fortunately contained to a small specific area, but as, Sakura stood, she could see more red leading towards the edge of the hill and closer to the lake. She bit her lip, her phone already in her hand, and tried to decide what to do.

The _smart_ thing would be to call the police – maybe Chōjūrō was nearby even – but she couldn't just _leave_ without making sure there wasn't someone hurt and in need of help down below. She stood as tall as she could and attempted to peer over the edge of the hill to try to see down to the bank without leaving the path. But the cliff's edge was too far off and the down-slope too steep and Sakura cursed her kind heart as she quickly began to wade through the tall grass off the path. The underbrush was still too thick for her to make out what might lay at the by the lake's water from her spot at the edge of the hill's cliff and she hesitated a moment longer, glancing down either way of the hiking trail, before carefully beginning her descent.

Sakura only made it down about two steps when she realized how big of a mistake taking the slope down straight on was, the earth shifting under her feet and sending her sliding down the hill. Her shout of surprise rang clearly through the quiet air and she stumbled as the dirt shifted to sand, falling to her knees just feet away from a massive brown and bloodied body.

 _"SHIT!"_

Sakura's exclaim echoed into the distance and she scrambled to her feet, hurriedly brushing sand off of her hands as she stared wide-eyed at the nearly unrecognizable corpse of a bear.

Stumbling backwards, she took in the sight of the exposed bone and shredded flesh and fur, one arm entirely missing – ripped right from the shoulder socket – and the rest of the beast's body in only slightly better shape. Long claw marks were raked across the bear's face, completely destroying one eye and exposing the bare flesh of its jaw to the air. It laid in a heap on its side, its mangled rear legs halfway into the water and bloody sand caked on the rest of its body.

The smell of blood was heavy, so close to the corpse, but she couldn't smell any too-terrible rot just yet.

Meaning it hadn't been dead for very long.

Sakura barely had a moment to consider that worrying thought when she heard hurried movement behind her, quickly spinning around and slipping into a startled, defensive stance, as she saw someone slide down the slope towards her.

She only slightly relaxed when she noticed familiar blue hair.

"Are you alright?!" Chōjūrō exclaimed, pushing through the last of the grass as he met the bank. "What happ-?!"

His question was cut off as he was faced with the alarmed form of Sakura, standing mere feet away from the bloodied body of a dead bear. She caught the way he seemed to relax slightly before his gaze darted to the lake, carefully stepping forward after a moment to lay a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright, Sakura? I heard your shout and..."

She gave a slow nod, glancing at the bear again before crossing her arms over her chest to hug herself.

"Y-yeah, just a little spooked. I saw some blood near the path," she nodded up at the hill here, shifting her weight from foot to foot, "Thought someone might have been hurt so I..."

Chōjūrō gave her a gentle smile, understanding but a little concerned, before nudging her back away from the bear and towards the hill. Stepping forward himself, he crouched down next to the corpse and examined it for a moment before turning his attention once more towards the misty water, a tight frown on his face.

He gazed thoughtfully at the fog for a few moments before Sakura finally moved, taking a hesitant step forward and pulling her jacket tighter around her.

"Chōjūrō..?"

His dark eyes flickered to her as he was pulled from his thoughts and he stood, reaching up to adjust his glasses as he turned towards her.

"Another bear."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed. "Huh?"

He brushed the sand off his knees before addressing her, that frown never faltering.

"It looks like it was mauled by another bear. A territory dispute or just a general fight turned nasty."

She sent a nervous glance towards the forest nearby and Chōjūrō's expression softened, reaching out to pat her arm comfortingly before pulling his cellphone out of his pocket.

"It's been dead for at least a couple hours," he said reassuringly, circling the body as he snapped quick photos of the scene, "The other bear would be long gone by now, don't worry."

Sakura squirmed uncomfortably as she watched him, far from relieved.

"Does this- Are there a lot of bears in this area?"

Chōjūrō sent her a comforting smile, pocketing his phone when he was satisfied with the photos, before resting a hand on her back. Carefully helping her up a less steep slope to the top of the hill, they made it back towards the path, his voice encouraging.

"It's not uncommon, no, but the bear population isn't too big around Lake Kiri and the forest. They don't wander so close that often, but I'll let the wildlife rangers in Sasaina know about this when I get to the station and post a notice to be on the lookout for straying bears."

He paused, that sheepish smile from the day before returning.

"Do you want me to walk you home?"

Sakura replied with a quick nod and thankful smile and the pair turned to face the way Sakura had originally come, the air still a little tense as they walked back towards Haku's home. Chōjūrō attempted to calm her nerves with a bit of small talk, evoking a series of questions from Sakura about his history with the town and, though she didn't mention it, she noticed how he seemed to steer the conversation away from the topic of the lake itself.

Hm.

By the time they made it back to Haku's house, he had gone through two anecdotes about some rather amusing occurrences during his time on Kiri's small police force – "Try as I might, I just could _not_ convince Mrs. Yobun that it was local kids that were moving her garden gnomes. She was insistent that they were coming to life at night." – and Sakura spoke a bit about her hometown, Konoha. Chōjūrō was kind enough to walk her to the door, hesitating for a moment before giving her his cellphone number.

"Don't hesitate to call if something comes up, alright?"

She offered him a bright smile in thanks and was pleasantly surprised to note the light blush that dusted his cheeks, his expression lightening with a grin.

"Thanks so much, Chōjūrō. Have a nice day?"

And he'd left looking rather pleased with himself, head held high and his smile wide considering their rather unorthodox meeting that morning, and Sakura went inside feeling more at ease than before.

However, she decided to stay in for the rest of the day, just in case.

The rabbits didn't act any differently and she inwardly wondered if they would be able to tell if a bear happened to wander too close to the house, deciding to keep an eye on them as she bundled herself up on the couch. With a mug of hot chocolate on the coffee table and Mochi in her lap, Sakura browsed google for safety tips in case of bear attacks and shot Haku an email about the news.

And two boring days passed.

Sakura decided to forgo her morning jog – as nice as Chōjūrō was, not chatting with him was a sacrifice she was willing to make. He _did_ , however, shoot her a text to check up on her the next day and she found herself smiling down at her phone as she replied, flattered by his concern – but she was getting antsy from being cooped up inside for so long. Not in the mood for cereal, nor really interested in making something else herself, she grabbed the keyring – double-checking for Haku's P.O. Box key - and figured it might be nice to explore the town. With the rabbits fed and thoroughly supplied with fresh hay and water, she made her way outside and spared a few moments to begrudgingly admire the misty morning.

The sun was already risen and she beat the cold back with a beanie and warm coat, lips only slightly pursed as she took in her surroundings. Under the fog, when the sunlight hit just right, Sakura could see a slight frost covering the grass, catching the glint of the sunrays through the thinner wisps of mist.

Fingers drumming on her camera bag, the strap slung over her shoulder and a comforting weight against her side, Sakura reluctantly admitted that the scene was nice and only a _little_ spooky. Unable to resist, she removed her camera and moved through the yard to find the best shot.

She'd yet to touch her camera in the three short days she'd been at Haku's, well aware that if she started snapping photos of the rabbits, she'd be unable to stop. There was still plenty of time for nature photos and she didn't wasn't to exhaust her surroundings just yet.

Satisfied with her shots, Sakura slipped into her car and waited for the heat to kick in before she made her way down the drive and towards the town.

Kiri proper looked just the same as it had when she passed through earlier that week, but she paid closer attention to the store fronts and buildings this time, traveling along Mainstreet and searching for the post office. Entering from the North, most of the shops followed along the road that passed through the town, hoping to draw tourists and passersby in.

Mainstreet Kiri ran perpendicular to the road that cut through it, closer to the Southern entrance to the town and arguably the busiest area in town as it's 'downtown'. City Hall, the post office, police station, a hardware store, bakery... There were several major stops along the strip and but the town was small and the street was quiet this morning, only a few townsfolk out and about in the - fortunately thinner than the lake – mist.

Pulling up outside the post office, Sakura hopped out her car and dug the P.O. Box key out of her pocket, trying to ignore the glance a pair of pedestrians sent her.

They could probably tell that she wasn't a local.

In and out, returning with a small pile of mail, Sakura simply deposited the envelopes in her car and returned to the street, purse slung over her shoulders and camera in hand as she leisured down the strip.

She snapped photos of whatever happened to catch her eye, just something to keep her mind off the Bear Problem as she explored. A peak of a rooftop garden, moss spilling over the edge and down the front of the building, the flash of headlights breaking through the mist, a sleeping crow perched on the wooden beam of a powerline – as well as three consecutive photos of the bird waking, ruffling its feathers, and taking to the sky -, small leaves of a sidewalk shrubbery weighed down by the dew of the mist...

Sakura paused when she realized that she'd met the end of the street, glancing up from her camera gallery to look around as she took note of the shops and buildings around her. Her eye was caught by a neon ' _OPEN'_ sign across the street and it only took a quick look at the words _'Fresh pies baked daily!'_ and the distant smell of breakfast to send her stomach into a growling fit as she remembered her original reason for coming into town.

Returning her camera to its carrier, she hurried across the street and into the block-corner diner, a bell chiming over the door as she stepped through.

It was quiet inside, the low thrum of some local radio station keeping the restaurant from being nearly silent, and Sakura paused, glancing up at a call from towards the back of the building.

"Welcome - go ahead and seat yourself! I'll be right there!"

Tapping her fingers against the strap of her camera bag, she moved over to a window-side booth, glancing around the diner. The building itself was sat on the corner of the block, giving two of the four walls decent views out onto the misty street outside, with the door in the middle of the side that faced Mainstreet. There were booths lining the walls and a few tables were situated on either side of the entrance, with a long L-shaped bar further inwards and blocking off the entrance to the kitchen and back counters.

Her gaze traveled over the abundant nautical décor dressing the diner as she took a seat, lips quirking. There were fishing nets strung between points on the ceiling, realistic fake fish mounted to the blue-painted walls, an anchor pattern printed on the tables under the glass tops, the side of the bar styled to look like ship planking... Sakura's attention dropped to a rack near the entrance that held several different stacks of travel brochures and maps of the area, her head tilting in understanding.

A tourist stop, she guessed.

Made sense. The main road into the woods ran straight through the town and there were several popular camping spots further into the forest as it melted into the state-run public park, along with a few more public lakes – not including Lake Kiri, of course.

There were only a handful of other people in the diner – a couple seated in a booth on the other side of the door and a map spread out over their table, a man at the long bar with a half-eaten omelet on the plate beside him and a steaming mug in his hand, and an elderly woman sitting at one of the tables near Sakura, skimming what looked like a local paper.

She'd been sitting for barely a minute when she saw a young woman push through the swinging door that led into the back, the brown-haired waitress brushing through the open gap of the bar and heading towards Sakura with what looked like a menu in her hand and a smile on her face.

"Mornin'!" The woman greeted, laying the single-sheet menu down in front of her. "Welcome in, I'm Mariko. Can I get you started with something to drink, Miss?"

Sakura returned the smile, fingers on the laminated page. "Just a water for now, please."

Mariko nodded and turned away, leaving Sakura to look over her menu – breakfast menu, she realized as she looked down. There were no seafood items on the page but she was sure that the diner's lunch and dinner menu didn't follow suit. Absentmindedly tapping her foot, she glanced over the food options and was aware of Mariko returning a minute later, her glass of water in hand.

"See anything you like, Miss? What can I get you?"

Another smile and Sakura glanced back down at the combo plates to reaffirm her choice, locking her ankles together under the table.

"The French toast and two eggs, please?"

"Of course! Mariko replied, pulling out a little notepad and pen. "How'd you like those eggs?"

"Sunny side up."

"Bacon or sausage?"

"Bacon, please."

"Alright! Anything else, Miss?"

Sakura's eyes dropped back down once more, lips pursed slightly as she looked at the breakfast drink options before returning her attention to Mariko.

"Actually, a hot chocolate as well?"

The brunette giggled, scribbling it down. "Marshmallows?"

Sakura's sheepish smile turned into a wider grin. "Of course."

Nodding to herself, Mariko gathered her menu and turned away once more to return to the back, leaving Sakura to herself. Taking a sip of water, she leaned back in her seat and pulled out her phone, glancing up as Mariko pushed through the doors to the kitchen, a pot of coffee in hand. The waitress made her rounds to the other guests, checking on them and refilling cups and taking empty plates.

Her back to the door, Sakura replied to a few texts and was vaguely aware of the sound of the bell over the entrance ringing some moments later, only glancing up from her cellphone when she heard Mariko's greeting.

"Oh-! Mornin' Officer! Here for breakfast?"

"No, sorry, Mariko."

Sakura turned her head at the familiar voice and there was Chōjūrō, dressed in his Kiri Police uniform and his lips turned down in a small frown.

"I just need to speak with Zabuza."

 _Zabuza?_

She hadn't seen the tall man when she'd first come in but Mariko gave an offhanded nod of understanding before moving to the bar, facing the window into the kitchen.

"Hey, Zabuza!" There was a distant grunt of reply from inside, followed by the sizzle of a grill. "Officer Chōjūrō is asking for you again."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed. Was this a common thing?

It was quiet for a moment, Chōjūrō moving to the counter – he didn't notice Sakrua and she realized that she was still wearing her beanie – before the door to the kitchen swung open and there was Zabuza as well.

He was dressed in a plain black shirt, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and jeans, with a fairly clean apron over his clothes, a dishtowel thrown over his shoulder, and a medical mask over the lower half of his face. Zabuza moved out from behind the bar and Chōjūrō approached, Sakura jumping slightly when Zabuza's eyes suddenly landed on her. His eyebrows furrowed and his jaw moved slightly into what she guessed was a confused frown and, on a whim, Sakura reached up to pull off her hat, running her fingers through her short pink hair as she offered Haku's neighbor a sheepish wave.

Recognition crossed over his eyes – it _had_ been a few days since their first and only meeting – and Chōjūrō must have caught his stare because he turned to follow Zabuza's gaze.

The officer jerked slightly in surprise, glancing back to the taller man, before sending her that familiar shy smile.

"O-oh! Good morning, Sakura. I didn't see you there..."

"Morning, Chōjūrō." She paused, looking back at the dark-haired man still frowning at her. "And Zabuza."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, ignoring Chōjūrō glance before he leaned back against the counter, arms crossing over his chest.

"French toast?"

It took her a moment to realize that he was talking about her order and, eyebrow quirked, she nodded.

"You're the..." Another pause and she frowned at the surgical mask he was wearing. "Chef?"

Even under the mask, she could see his expression fall into a deadpan.

"I'm not sick."

"That's just Zabuza's shitty fashion sense!" Mariko chirped, suddenly appearing with Sakura's hot chocolate and completely unbothered by the scene.

"R-right..." Sakura trailed off and Chōjūrō took a hesitant step towards her, looking as if he wanted to say something, but the taller man caught his arm and gave him a pointed look.

"You needed to talk?"

Another glance to Sakura, his expression falling into a tight frown, and the blue-haired officer nodded, following after Zabuza when he jerked his head in the direction of kitchen. The pair moved past the bar and disappeared behind the door, leaving Sakura to frown after them, drumming her fingers against her mug of hot chocolate.

It was quiet in the diner except for the soft murmuring from the couple with the map and Mariko's humming and, turning to look out the window to the street, Sakura tried not to think too much on Zabuza and Chōjūrō's odd impromptu meeting. They were neighbors as well, technically.

Probably just something to do with the lake-side neighborhood.

Eventually, the couple in the other booth left and, a minute later, Chōjūrō emerged from the kitchen, his thoughtful frown shifting to a weak smile when he looked to Sakura once more. He reached up to run a hand through his blue hair, nodding in greeting as he spoke.

"Nice seeing you again, Sakura. I hope you've been well."

She quirked a brow at him before offering a smile, deciding not to question what _that_ had all been about.

"Nice to see you too, Chōjūrō. Just a little spooked still about the bear thing."

His smile turned a little softer at her shrug and he stepped forward, looking like he wanted to say something more, _again_ , before the radio on his belt buzzed to life, the message lost in the crackle of static. Sighing, Chōjūrō sent her an apologetic look and a quick wave.

"I've got to get going, sorry. Enjoy your breakfast! Zabuza makes a mean omelet – for future reference."

She laughed and returned the wave, wishing the young man a good day and watching him leave. Inwardly, she caught herself pondering again what they could have been talking about. Police business on Chōjūrō's part seemed logical but she didn't want to think too deeply about what that would mean for Zabuza.

Lips pursed, Sakura took a sip of her cocoa and unlocked her phone, checking unread messages. It was only a few minutes later when Mariko returned, her breakfast in hand, and quickly set the plate in front of her as the waitress sent her a rather amused smile.

French toast, eggs, bacon, syrup– strawberries? They were piled on top of the French toast, fresh and bright and sliced in halves, and Sakura couldn't recall seeing them listed under the combo items on the menu.

Blinking down at her plate, Sakura glanced to Mariko's retreating back before moving her gaze to the window into the kitchen, lips lifting in a smile.

 **::**

The next day, it was slightly warmer out than the entire previous week.

Sakura stood in front of the large living room window that looked out over the lake, watching the mist roll by as she finished off a grilled cheese sandwich. The fog was lighter today as well and she couldn't help glancing over to where she knew the boathouse sat, inwardly fighting a losing battle with herself.

Letting out a defeated sigh, she grabbed a hoodie and her waterproof camera, accepting the fact that this would probably be the best weather she'd receive during her stay. Snatching up the ring of keys as well, she headed out the backdoor and made her way towards the boat house, turning her face towards the sun.

With the shed unlocked and keys clipped to her belt-loop, it wasn't much longer until Sakura was sat in the blue-painted rowboat and paddling out onto the water. It took her a few moments to re-familiarize herself with the oars – remembering her last summer-time visit to Haku's house. They'd spent one afternoon out on the lake, a picnic basket in the rowboat and several blankets laid out over the seat and bottom as they'd laid back to watch the clouds and Sakura smiled fondly at the memory, glancing up at the sky.

She was relieved to note that it wasn't _entirely_ overcast and, once she was some twenty-or-so feet away from the bank, she pulled out her camera, fingering the attached strap.

It was a little chillier out over the water, but she had absolutely no intentions of swimming, reluctant to even reach over the side of the boat to test the water with her fingers. Instead, she turned to face Haku's house, snapping a few shots with the light mist rolling over the lawn before scanning her surroundings. With a few more photos of the forest edge, a flock of birds passing by overhead, the still water itself, one of the other lake-side houses, and a pair of deer stopped at the lake's shore a distance away, Sakura sat back and hung the camera around her neck

Alright, so she could see why Haku liked living out here so much.

Once she got over the mist, it was a pretty nice place – quiet and peaceful and, when the weather warmed up, the perfect rural home.

She laid back, watching the cloudy sky as she closed her eyes and listened to the lake, giving a content sigh and letting the boat drift. There wasn't much to listen to besides a few birds in the distance, but it was calming and Sakura slowly relaxed, arms crossed behind her head. She couldn't have been laying in the boat for any longer than a couple minutes when something suddenly bumped into the side, the thud breaking the quiet and rocking the boat. Sakura frowned and sat up, wondering if she'd drifted back to the shore.

But, glancing around, she found herself surrounded only by water, the shore now a good fifty feet off.

Driftwood, maybe?

Before she could lean back again, there was another thud, this time against the bottom of the boat. The force jostled her forward, knees hitting wood and her camera swinging on the strap around her neck

"W-what the-?"

Anther thud from below, this time more to the side and rocking the boat enough for her to panic, fearing she'd be tipped over. Sakura sat up on her knees and gripped the sides to brace herself, glancing around worried as she tried to stay still. She'd drifted a little further over the water during her distraction and she looked to the nearest shoreline, eyeing an outcropping of rocks that a dead tree had fallen near, gnarled roots climbing over the stones towards the water.

All was calm for a few moments and she hesitantly looked to her right, peering over the side and down at the water.

Was someone fucking with her?

One hand on her camera, she carefully removed it and reached for the case, finger tracing the capture button out of habit as she decided it was time to head back to the shore.

No sooner than she'd moved back into her seat and unzipped the case, she heard a splash and something suddenly barreled into her left side _hard_ , knocking her full-force over the side and her shout cut off as she hit the water.

Cold was an understatement.

The icy chill bit at her bare face and the shock was enough to draw a sharp gasp from her, mouth filling with water and her legs kicking wildly on instinct. She tried to open her eyes to search for _up_ but her body fought against her, refusing to subject her eyes to the cold. Swinging her arms out, searching blindly for purchase, she felt herself fumble with the camera, tensing enough to press, trigger, and hold the capture button.

Icy water brought slowly creeping numbness and, one moment, the camera was in hand and, the next, it was gone, though Sakura's mind was too focused on _air_ and _out_ to notice. Legs pumping as she kicked at the water, she was barely able to hope she was heading upwards and, instead, fought the desperate urge to breathe. The bite of the cold almost overpowered the feeling of air on her face and it was only the sudden clarity of her hearing that made her realize she'd broken through the surface. Gasping and choking, she forced her eyes open and tried to focus, everything broken and pieced together in her desperate shock.

That fallen tree, the shore still too far off for comfort, a distant shout and splash somewhere far behind her, and then something warm and _sharp_ wrapped around her ankle.

Sakura had just enough time to take a deep, frantic breath, before she was pulled under and her world became water once more.

 **::**

 **notes:** this is long overdue and I have no excuses besides the fact that I just lost all fic muse for a few months

a good 80% of this was sitting in my word doc for like two months but I finally managed to finish it off. took forever cause the beginning was kind of boring to write and I SO wanted to just get to the end and next chapter

shit's starting hard and fast

hope you enjoyed! sorry for the wait!


	3. Chapter 3

_**Search Lights**_

 **\- Chapter Three –**

 **::**

Down and forward she was dragged, water rushing into her ears and nose and pain shooting up her leg from her ankle. Despite her instincts screaming _no_ , she forced her eyes open, desperate to see what was trying to drown her.

Blinking and squinting and trying to ignore the icy sting, she felt whatever was pulling her down release her ankle, something brushing her back in the next moment. Twisting around in the water, her legs instantly began kicking again, body moving on instinct to return to the surface as her lungs ached for air. It was difficult to see, regardless of the cold – lake water wasn't exactly super _clear_ , after all – but Sakura still saw movement ahead of her, moments before impact. A quick flash of white and something crashed into her chest, the force enough to push her backwards hard and fast.

Her back hit something large and solid and Sakura was aware of the muffle feeling of sand and dirt under her fingers. Ears ringing, she managed to glance around and realized that she'd hit an underwater slope of some sort, the lake's bank surely just overhead.

She reached backwards frantically in search of purchase and tried to find a grip, dislodging more small clouds of dirt. Sakura only paused when her foot hit something solid in her panicked movements. A quick glance down brought an old broken pipe of some sort, thin and caked in years of hardened dirt and rust – rebar, maybe? – jutting out of the bank-side into sight. A small ledge sat a couple of feet below where nearly a foot of the metal was exposed, but she had only a moment to assess it before a garbled screech brought her attention back up and ahead of her. There, some thirty feet away and quickly moving towards her, was some sort of... fish?

Sleek and startling white, a long tail thrashed behind it and its mouth opened and snapped closed several times, revealing a duo of rows of too-long, too-sharp teeth that sent deep-set chills down her spine.

She was quickly running out of time and air and with another glance down at the protruding pipe, Sakura acted on impulse and moved downwards to position the pipe behind her. With her feet braced on the slab of rock below, knees tense and bent, her hand reached back to run over the broken metal as the creature darted forward.

Lungs screaming and spots appearing in her vision, she clung to the short surge of bravery fueling her as she braced herself and waited as long as she dared, staring ahead at two pairs of steadily nearing, yellow eyes.

She propelled herself upwards just before the creature impacted her, another garbled scream meeting her ears through the water, and that thrashing tail, covered in hard scales, smashed into her, one time in the side and another against the back of her head, water filling her mouth again as she was knocked around. Her surroundings came in flashes in her disorientated state –

The pipe jutting out of the top of the fish-creature's mouth, blood, blood, _blood_ , quickly clouding around her, bony arms with glistening claws and webbed fingers clawing at the dirt slope, something long, thin, and silvery dislodged from the wall and falling in loose coils down further –

Sakura hoped she was aimed at the surface and kicked desperately, the realization that her movements were slowing coming sluggishly to her mind.

Red and white, the creature reared back, a chain catching the light that came from the lake surface above, and then a face –

Angry, vaguely human, blue, baring sharp, sharp teeth down and away from her –

At the _thing_ –

Air, _air._

Something warm and strong wrapping around her middle –

And then darkness.

 **::**

Awareness came and went in slow, slow waves, her body numb and her senses dulled. She could feel something warm around her, vaguely. It was a comforting, secure warmth and she tried to reach through her weak consciousness to further grasp it, wanting to pull it more securely around her.

"-the hell happened?!"

The voice sounded familiar, but she was too far out, too disconnected to identify it. Sakura battled her own numbness, trying to fight off the urge to sleep.

"-knocked her in, saw it from… rushed in and-"

A second voice, this one entirely new. She tried to focus on what the voices were saying, but she could only catch bits and pieces, the entire conversation quickly becoming a garbled mess of sounds as her side throbbed and her head pounded.

She felt her body tremble with a shiver and, moments later, became aware of the warmth shifting, pressing more firmly against her side as it drew her closer. Sakura turned her face sluggishly towards it, chasing the comforting safety of whatever held her, and trying and failing to convince her eyes to open.

"-she _kill_ it?"

The first voice again, the tone incredulous though she couldn't really pay attention to that interesting piece of information, too focused on clinging to the warmth.

"-ust hurt it… still out there-"

She could feel her fingers moving, but the sensation was muffled, and the soft groan surely must have been hers, but she wasn't quite certain. Everything was fading away again, unconsciousness slowly regaining its hold on her, but she could feel herself being passed from hold to hold, into another set of warm arms as the voices continued to speak.

Sakura blinked blearily, trying to see _anything_ , but her vision was blurred and out of focus and, when she made to blink again, her eyes refused to reopen.

And she descended into darkness and blissful unawareness once more, the distant sound of water splashing and a soft voice lulling her back to sleep.

 **::**

When she came to, the throbbing in her head had dulled slightly and she felt a thousand times warmer than before. Sakura reflexively pulled the blanket laid over her closer to her face, pressing it against her cheek as she let out a relaxed groan and shifted, turning her body to face the radiating warmth of a fireplace some feet away. She was incredibly tempted to fall back asleep, warm and comfortable, but realization hit her a moment later and her eyes snapped open, her breath hitching in surprise.

There was indeed a fire going just a few feet in front of her and the blanket over her was soft, but neither of these facts were as comforting as they might have been as she realized she most _definitely_ did not know where she was. Her eyes darted over the mantle of the fireplace, trying to find something familiar, but she couldn't quite make anything out as the fire was the only light in the room.

Confused, Sakura slowly sat up, hissing under her breath at the soreness in her side, and tried to take stock of her situation. It was about then that she realized the shirt she was wearing was _not_ hers and a quick glance under the blanket confirmed that, yes, she was wearing unfamiliar pajama pants as well. A little feeling around revealed that she was still wearing her underwear and bra but, while _that_ was a slightly more comforting revelation, the fabric for the latter felt uncomfortably damp and cool under her touch.

Loathe to remove the warm shirt, she reached under it to unhook the back and then pulled the straps off her arms, pulling her bra out from under the fabric.

It was about then, her bra in hand and the over-sized shirt riding up her stomach a bit, that Zabuza walked in.

He stopped in the entryway to the room, a basket of clean laundry in hand and a towel wrapped around his shoulders, and stared at her for a moment. She couldn't tell if his surprise was directed at the fact that she was in the middle of tossing her bra to the side or –

"You're awake," He said matter-of-factly after a moment, his gaze flickering over her just briefly before he glanced away, reaching up to scratch his cheek over where the straps of the surgical mask that covered the lower half of his face.

"Y-yeah, I-" Sakura fumbled for words for a moment, feeling awkward as she searched for something to say. Zabuza had saved her? Was this his house?

"I…" She chewed on the inside of her cheek as he looked to her again, reaching up to tug on the shoulder of the shirt as she sent him a weak smile. "Thanks..? For the dry clothes."

He nodded slowly, shifting his weight and glancing down to the basket in his hands before back up at her. "Yours are still in the dryer – just got out of the wash a few minutes ago."

The implications that he'd undressed and re-dressed her – in his _own_ clothes, apparently – had him looking away again, a strange tightness to his face as he frowned at the wall behind her, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "They were soaked."

Sakura blinked up at him, suddenly fighting back a smirk as she realized he was acting almost _shy_.

"Thank you," She said sincerely, pulling the blanket up over her shoulders as she relaxed.

Her reaction seemed to put him at ease and he nodded, moving to lean against the wall as he took a slow breath. A moment later, Zabuza met her eye again, his expression smooth but serious.

"I told you to stay away from the water."

Sakura balked and then bristled slightly, that bemused smirk quickly disappearing as she sat up and gripped the edges of the blanket more firmly, her eyes narrowed at him.

"No, you said to stay _out_ of the water. You didn't say _anything_ about not getting in a boat and ending up _knocked into the lake by_ …" She frowned, trying to remember what had happened. "…Something."

Zabuza scowled at her retort but stayed silent for a long moment, watching her in consideration. Eventually, he shifted his weight to his other leg, still staring at her assessingly.

"What did you see?"

The question caught her off-guard – what did she _see_? Not what _happened_? – and she held his gaze for a few seconds, expression confused, before glancing away and closing her eyes. Flashes of white – scales, claws, _teeth_ – ran through her mind, but it all felt so far away, a chill running down her spine. Her mind was fuzzy and stale, unfocused images only came to her in broken pieces and the back of her head throbbed dully.

"I… I don't know." She finally said, voice low as her gaze dropped to her hands and her eyebrows furrowed.

" _Sakura_ ," Zabuza started, his tone frustrated – as if he thought she was dodging his question on _purpose_ , "You have to –"

"I don't know!" Sakura snapped, attention jumping back up to his face as her own frustration brewed. "I don't remember, okay?!"

He fell silent, watching as Sakura wrapped her arms around herself defensively.

"All I know is _something_ knocked me into the water and I nearly _drowned_."

Eyes darting across her face, as if searching to see if she was lying, Zabuza slowly turned away and went back through the entryway he'd come through. He returned a couple minutes later with the laundry basked replaced with two steaming mugs, the tags for teabags hanging off the sides. He handed one to Sakura, the scent of peppermint meeting her nose, before taking up his spot against the wall once more.

Sakura cradled the mug in her hands, holding his gaze before letting out a sigh and taking a careful sip, glancing up as he started to speak.

"Sounds like a fish," He said, tone even and rather definitive. "A pike maybe – they get pretty big around here."

She didn't know why her initial reaction was to shoot him a glare, feeling defensive again. "A _fish_ did not knock me in, Zabuza. There's _something_ in the lake and it tried to _kill_ me."

His expression gave nothing away and Zabuza continued to stare, eyebrows only slightly furrowed.

"You said you can't remember what exactly happened," He replied, almost challengingly, "A _fish_ doesn't have the mental capacity to try to drown someone."

"Because it wasn't a fucking fish!" She was getting angry again – he was _hiding_ something, she just knew it! "It-!"

" _Look_." Zabuza interrupted, his thoughts indecipherable through his half-visible face. "You're safe now. I think it would be best if you just... tried to forget about this."

If the tea wasn't warming her up, the sudden fury in her chest most certainly would.

" _Forget about it?!_ I nearly _died!_ " Sakura grit her teeth, only further angered by the way Zabuza glared down at her like she was being _difficult_.

"You know something and you're not telling me," She hissed accusingly, her eyes narrowed as she pointed at him. "You can't just expect me to forget about this and move on, Zabuza. I was _attacked_ and I know it."

 _Red, red blood, white teeth, yellow eyes, a flash of light caught on a coil of silver-_

This wasn't something she could just _forget_.

"It would be in your _best interest_ to _forget_ ," He replied just as tersely, not meeting her eye now as he gripped his mug tightly. "Pretend it... didn't happen."

"Like _hell_ -!"

"Sakura-"

"This is fucking bullshit! You-!"

" _Sakura_." There was something in his gaze when he looked back at her now, an almost pleading look. " _Please_. You need to forget this happened."

She paused, biting back her angry retort as she frowned up at him, a sour feeling in her stomach. Sakura took a breath, sitting back as she realized she'd been moving closer and closer to the edge of the couch.

"What-" - _was that thing? -aren't you telling me?_ There were so many questions rolling through her mind but that look on his face filled her with reluctance. "Why? Why do I have to just pretend this didn't happen? You need to tell me what you know, Zabuza."

"I _can't_ ," He said, his voice almost quiet as he let out a tired sigh.

Sakura grit her teeth and let out a frustrated sound, pressing herself back into the couch cushions as she sipped her tea angrily and muttered an irritated _"Bullshit_ ," under her breath. The quiet was broken by the sound of him stepping forward, her eyes darting up and her expression still bitter. Zabuza stopped in front of her and crouched, taking a knee as he set his mug aside and reached up to rest his hands on her shoulders.

"Listen, Sakura, _please_. I'd tell you what you want to know, if I _could_. But I can't." His dark brown eyes held hers evenly but she could almost _feel_ the desperation in his gaze.

"It's not…" Zabuza trailed off for a moment, a frustrated sound slipping out, and Sakura had a sinking suspicion that the word he wanted to say was _'Safe_.'

"It's not something you should worry yourself over."

She pursed her lips at that, but the way he gripped her shoulders and the pleading look in his eyes kept her from snapping angrily. Tearing her own gaze away, she gave a curt nod.

" _Fine_. Fine, I'll just _pretend_ I didn't nearly get killed by... _'a fish'_."

He sighed, but it sounded more relieved than tired. Nodding, Zabuza pulled his hands back and grabbed his mug again from next to his knee, ruffling Sakura's hair as he stood up. She quickly swatted at his hand and let out a huff, glaring down at her tea as she tried to make sense of this situation and her broken, jumbled thoughts.

Zabuza watched her in consideration for a moment before moving to lean against the mantle over the fireplace.

"I'll make a deal with you."

Well, that admittedly caught her attention.

Sakura quirked an eyebrow, holding the mug to her lips as she looked up at him. "…I'm listening."

"No more questions and you eat free at the diner."

Ah, he was bribing her with _food_.

She was a little ashamed at how much that worked.

When she didn't immediately respond with either a negative or positive answer, Zabuza continued, still having yet to drink his tea. "Try to forget about today and, from now on, you get meals on the house at the diner. Anything you want, for forever."

Lips pursed, Sakura thought it over for a few moments before giving a small, reluctant nod, feigning surrendering to his terms. If _he_ wasn't going to tell her what was going on, she'd just have to figure it out herself.

 _The icy water stinging her eyes, sharp metal behind her, a monster racing towards her with the intent to kill-_

She'd get to the bottom of this, regardless of what Zabuza said.

"Deal."

He nodded, his jaw shifting slightly in what she could only guess was a slight smile behind his mask, and she fiddled with the tag hanging off the rim of the mug.

"Okay, _one more_ question though..."

" _Sakura,_ " Zabuza muttered warningly, but she quickly pushed on, ignoring the unamused look in his eye.

"What happened afterwards?" She asked, running her finger over the edge of her mug. "Someone saved me, right? Was it you?"

There had been a _second_ voice, hadn't there?

This question seemed to catch him off guard and he blinked at her for a moment before relaxing, shaking his head.

"Kisame pulled you out. He saw you… _fall_ _in_ from his house and I heard him shouting and came out to see what was going on."

Sakura perked up at that, recalling the name as one of the other neighbors Haku mentioned. "Is he around? I want to thank him for saving me."

Shrugging, Zabuza glanced to a window over her shoulder, his expression thoughtful. "I'll pass the message along to him – he had some business to take care of. Don't expect too much though, he's kind of a recluse."

She sent him an unimpressed look, inwardly wondering if he was just saying that to keep her from trying to get answers out of this Kisame guy. Regardless, she nodded and finished off her tea, glancing up at the distant sound of a series of _dings_.

"That should be the dryer," Zabuza muttered, pushing off from the mantle and switching her empty mug for his untouched tea. "Let me go check on your clothes and I'll drive you back to Haku's."

 **::**

The silence of the drive was somewhere right in the middle of comfortable and awkward as all hell. She didn't exactly know what to _think_ of Zabuza. Pissed as fuck at how he'd dodged her questions and then just straight out told her to forget about nearly drowning, curious about what he was hiding, surprised by him actually taking care of her when she'd been unconscious...

She'd changed back into her clothes, fresh out of the dryer, and had been surprised when Zabuza handed over the ring of keys, relieved that it'd managed to stay clipped to her belt loop through the whole debacle. Without a word, he'd turned the heater up to the highest setting the moment they'd gotten into his truck and she knew she'd be making more hot cocoa as soon as she got back to Haku's house, already making plans to bundle herself up in a big blanket and curl up on the couch for a few hours.

As they pulled up to the drive, Sakura sent him one last thoughtful glance, fiddling with the drawstring for her hoodie, before nodding and reaching for the door handle.

"Thanks for the ride and for... helping me out, Zabuza."

He inclined his head towards her, starting to turn the heat down a bit. "If your ankle starts to bother you, give me a call."

Right. _That_ had been a frustrating reveal. She'd found her ankle bandaged up neatly and almost worryingly sore, unsure what kind of injury she had under the wraps, though Zabuza had said it'd looked like she'd scraped it against something. It hurt a bit to put weight on it, but it wasn't something she couldn't handle.

Nodding, she slipped out of the passenger seat and stretched before quickly wrapping her arms around herself as a breeze blew past, shivering slightly.

"Stay warm," He called, leaning towards her open door slightly, and her smile quickly turned into an unamused frown at his following comment of _"And stay away from the water_ ," already starting to turn away.

"Yeah, yeah. No more scenic boat rides for some good shots of the-"

With a dawning horror, Sakura remembered her camera.

"FUCK!" She spun back to face Zabuza who watched her with a confused look, throwing her hands up into the air in exasperation. "I dropped my camera in the water!"

He grimaced behind his surgical mask, reaching up scratch his cheek. "Hope it wasn't expensive."

With a frustrated _"UGH!"_ , Sakura turned away and started storming towards the front door, keyring in hand.

"Fucking-! _Bye_ , Zabuza!"

She _swore_ she heard him laugh before he pulled the door to his truck closed and started to back away.

Sakura was almost instantly greeted by the rabbits as she entered the house, all three sniffing at her feet curiously and scurrying around her. Sighing, she deposited the keys and headed to the kitchen, in dire need of a cocoa. What a _frustrating_ man.

 **::**

She'd been curled up on the couch for about twenty minutes when the doorbell suddenly rang, making Mochi jump out of her lap in surprise and waking the other two rabbits. Sakura frowned to herself and reluctantly left her blanket nest, heading to the front door and wondering what the hell this could be _now._ Opening the door slightly, she peaked out onto the porch, half-expecting to see Zabuza there, but found herself staring at the unfamiliar young man outside in confusion.

"Pizza delivery!"

Sakura's stare intensified and she gave a slow blink before replying, tone deadpan.

"I didn't order a pizza."

The delivery boy gave a nervous laugh, shifting awkwardly. But, before he could reply, Sakura let out a sigh and started to turn away.

"Let me go get my wallet, hang on."

A pizza sounded awfully good right now, to be honest.

"Oh, no worries, Ma'am! Payment was already taken care of – tip too."

"What." She quickly faced him again and her eyebrows furrowed, confused once more. "By whom?"

"Same person who called in the order. It was put on the, uhh..." He paused, adjusting his hold on the pizza to pull a little notebook out of his pocket and flip it open. "The Hoshigaki tab. You _do_ want the pizza, don't you, Ma'am?"

She repeated the unfamiliar name under her breath before finally nodding, flashing the delivery boy a small smile as he handed the box over.

"Thanks. Drive save, kid."

He smiled back and nodded, quickly taking his leave and hopping into his car. Sakura watched him for a moment before glancing down at the pizza box, stepping back into the house and closing the door behind her.

The weird cherry on top of this wild mess of a day.

Two slices of pepperoni pizza on her plate, Sakura thumbed through the local phonebook, much too curious about her mysterious benefactor to just move on without a little investigating. The county phonebook included three other towns besides Kiri, but she ignored those sections in favor of jumping straight to Kiri locals. Running a finger down the short column of names under _H_ – the town's section was pretty small in general – she searched for this mysterious _Hoshigaki._

Haru Daisuke –

Hideki Jun –

Hoshigaki Kisame –

Oh. _Oh._

Sakura blinked, the feeling of gratitude doubling up, with a new strain of confusion. Saved her life _and_ bought her a pizza, all without actually meeting the guy? She hummed thoughtfully and set the phonebook aside, reaching for her pizza as she relaxed on the couch.

She'd have to thank him _in person_ , regardless of what Zabuza said.

 **::**

Sakura was usually fairly adept at realizing she was dreaming.

And, judging by the fact that she was walking through a forest with flying fish swimming around her, she was pretty sure she was dreaming now.

She continued to wander aimlessly, carefully making her way over large roots and rocks and glancing curiously at the schools of fish weaving through the trees. Ahead, she could see a glimmer in the brush and, inwardly wondering where her subconscious had found all of _this_ , she headed towards it, pushing through bushes and branches before finally finding the source.

Thin and silvery, a nearly fluid beam of light floated at about chest-height in front of her, waving and flowing in place, like a strip of cloth caught in a river's flow.

Sakura stared at it for a moment before simply reaching out, fingers barely brushing the light before it suddenly went rigid and snapped straight. She jumped back in surprise, watching curiously as the glowing quickly faded and, in place of the beam, hovered a silver chain. It stretched on into the darkness of the forest, still hovering at chest-height. Now, however, it remained completely still.

She looked down either path, seeing neither a beginning nor an end, before she finally chose a direction and started walking. One hand trailing over the metal of the chain, she followed its path through the woods, an odd feeling of confidence blooming in her chest as fish swam around her.

 **::**

She awoke with a start, images of needle-sharp teeth snapping at her face flashing in her mind and her heart pounding in her ears. Bolting upright in bed, she stared into the darkness of the bedroom and tried to steady her breathing, jumping at the feeling of something landing on her thighs.

Eyes adjusted to the dark, she looked down to see Mochi sitting in her lap, peering curiously up at her. Letting out a breath, Sakura stroked the rabbit's back and reached for her phone.

 _5:10 AM_.

Groaning tiredly, Sakura fell backwards and draped an arm over her face. "Here's hoping nightmares don't become a _Thing_."

Mochi tucked herself up under her chin and Sakura smiled to herself, idly petting the bunny as she tried to go back to sleep. Her mind refused to settle, however, and she let out a frustrated sigh, reaching for her phone again. She checked to see if Haku had replied to her last email, not quite awake enough to figure out what time it currently was in Russia.

True to her word, she hadn't mentioned the day's events to him and, inwardly, she debated whether she'd be eventually telling Haku when he got home or not. Maybe Zabuza was right about it being best if she just forgot about what had happened?

Were it not for the angry red scratches on her ankle, she might have thought she'd just hallucinated the _creature_ entirely.

Another flash of white scales and a yellow gaze and her own green eyes snapped open again – she hadn't noticed them close in the first place. Sleep was quickly becoming less and less of an appealing option and, with a grumble, Sakura sat up once more, gently setting Mochi down beside her. Ruffling her hair with a hand, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and pushed off, digging out a fresh set of clothes as she headed towards the bathroom.

Making the water as hot as she could handle, Sakura took a quick shower to both wake herself up and clear her mind. She rested her forehead against the cool tile of the wall as she let the water run over her, shivering despite the slight burn and the steam quickly building up in the bathroom.

There were a few bruises blooming along her side and her front, the one on her left side the worst of the bunch, and she tried her best to keep from touching them. Nothing was _broken_ , at least. Kicking the soaked bandages around her ankle aside after they slumped down around her foot, she stared down at the claw marks for a long moment, inwardly wondering if they'd scar.

The scratches weren't _particularly_ deep, but they'd yet to lose those red, irritated marks and it hurt a bit to touch. She'd have to keep an eye on it. Zabuza had said to contact him if it gave her any trouble, but surely it couldn't be _that_ big of a deal.

Sighing, Sakura rubbed at her face and reached for her shampoo, carrying on with her shower and trying not to think about that frustrating man. When she finally exited, the mirror was completely steamed over and her skin was a brighter pink from the heat of the water and her scrubbing. Splashing some alcohol on her ankle _just in case_ there was a possibility of infection from the lake water, she gently applied some ointment and grabbed another roll of bandages.

Pebble was waiting for her outside the door and she smiled softly down at the rabbit, crouching down to offer to carry her. Snuffling at Sakura's shirt sleeve, the bun happily settled into her arms and the two made their way to the kitchen, both Mochi and Marzipan still asleep in the bedroom.

While the coffee maker warmed up, Sakura got to work on her 'chores', checking and restocking the rabbits' supplies and cleaning out their litter box. Holding a piece of hay for Pebble to nibble on as she carried her back to the living room some minutes later, she sent the view of the misty lake a glare before dropping down on the couch, her legs tucked up next to her.

What was she supposed to do _now_? Regardless of Zabuza's warning, she had no intention of going anywhere near the water anyways. And, while a jog would certainly help to clear her mind, there was still that possibility of a bear roaming arou-

Sakura sat up with a start, a thought occurring to her.

 _The bear_. The carcass had been halfway in the water. Half _drug_ into the water? The memory of the long, deep gashes of claw marks on the corpse bubbled up in her mind and Sakura subconsciously reached down to rest her hand on her ankle.

What if something _else_ had killed that bear? Chōjūrō had said it was another bear but... if he was _wrong_ and it was something in the lake...

Something like the thing that had attacked her yesterday.

Then –

Then she was lucky to be alive.

Pebble perked up and hopped out of her lap and the action had Sakura jumping nearly a foot off the couch, a short yelp slipping out and startling the rabbit as well.

A hand on her chest, she mumbled a small apology to the bunny and rubbed at her face, grimacing as she realized her hand was shaking slightly.

Even _if_ whatever killed the bear had come from the water, there still remained the fact that she'd seen blood from up on the path. Which left her with two possible conclusions.

Either it _had_ been another bear and the woods _still_ weren't all that safe to be walking around in.

Or –

Or the creature in the lake could _leave_ the water, if at least a short distance.

Sakura curled up slightly, rubbing her forehead furiously as she tried to calm down. The memories were still slowly coming back to her, but she could piece the flashes together enough to know that there _was_ something that had attacked her. And it hadn't been some fucking fish.

Either way, bear or creature, the fact remained that neither the lake nor the woods were safe.

Running a still-shaking hand through her hair, Sakura shoved herself off of the couch and trudged to the kitchen once more, Pebble trailing after her. She poured herself a mug of coffee, ignoring her usual generous addition of creamer and sugar and, instead, downed it black.

It burned going down but it was just what she need to take her mind off of her current, rather terrible, thoughts. Making a face at the bitter taste, she set the mug back down and leaned back against the counter. She crossed her arms over her chest and decided that she could _really_ use a walk.

The town was a bit too far of a drive for her to jog there and back, this early in the morning, so she grabbed her keys and said goodbye to Pebble, promising to return soon. A couple laps around Mainstreet and she'd be as good as new.

No sooner had she parked and stepped out of her car did her stomach gave a low grumble, either due to her stunt with the coffee or for food – she wasn't sure which. Lips pursed, she glanced down the street until her gaze landed on Zabuza's diner, which she peered at in consideration.

He _did_ promise her free meals. But, it was still fairly early and she doubted the diner would be open yet. Tapping her foot, Sakura looked down the other way and nodded at the sight of the bakery. Doughnuts, then.

Fiddling with the end of her scarf, she made her way to the bakery and slipped inside, pausing and nearly making a hasty exit at the sight of blue hair.

Would Zabuza have told Chōjūrō about yesterday? He _was_ a cop and lived on the lake after all.

Blinking in surprise, Sakura suddenly questioned _why_ she should feel the need to avoid Chōjūrō. Regardless of whether he knew about what had happened or not.

Rolling her eyes at her own pointless paranoia, she shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and strode forward, calling out to him.

"Mornin', Officer."

Chōjūrō jumped, startled – what did that have to say about him as a cop? Or maybe Kiri had a low crime rate and he didn't see a lot of action? – before turning around, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he saw her. He took a little too long to respond and hastily glanced away when he finally did, a rather nervous look edging onto his face.

"Good m-morning, Sakura. Y-you're up early..?"

The question was obviously directed as to whether this was normal for her and she simply shrugged, unraveling her scarf as she moved forward. Stopping next to him, she rubbed at her chin as she gazed over the display case, the woman behind the counter smiling at her in greeting but leaving her and Chōjūrō to chat for now.

"Couldn't get back to sleep and decided I wanted doughnuts. Got anything to recommend?" She turned her head towards him, a friendly smile on her face that she kept deceptively straight as she noticed how he was still avoiding meeting her eye.

Chōjūrō chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment, eyes flickering to her before quickly darting away. "Th-the apple fritter is really good. U-uhm. Ham and cheese croissant sandwich if y-you're in the mood for something savory..?"

She tried to ignore his nervousness, awfully aware that it was different than past few times she'd seen him.

"That sounds good." Sakura paused, eyeing the large box the baker had set on the counter and watching as Chōjūrō stepped forward to pay for his doughnuts. When he turned back to her, she cracked another smile and offered a joking "I thought doughnuts and cops was just a TV stereotype," to hopefully break the awkward tension.

Chōjūrō's smile didn't reach his eyes and he let out a nervous laugh, fingers drumming on the side of the flat, rectangular box.

"H-hah, yeah... J-just bringing breakfast over to the station." There was a brief silence between them before Chōjūrō looked up at her, finally making eye contact. "Are you... well, Sakura? D-doing well, I mean."

Her expression fell slightly, noticing the way he quickly glanced over her, his gaze lingering a little too long near her feet. Sighing, she shoved her hands back into her pockets.

"Zabuza told you, didn't he." It was more of a statement than a question, one that didn't seem to catch him too off-guard.

Chōjūrō bit his lip, looking away slightly as his expression turned a little guilty. "I don't mean to pry into y-your business, but, y-yes, he did."

With the cat out of the bag, he held her gaze longer this time when he looked up, that nervous edge waning slightly and his voice lowering as they walked over to one of the small tables pressed against the side of the bakery lobby. " _Are_ you okay?"

There was concern there, in both his eyes and his tone, and Sakura smiled gently, a little flattered. "Yeah, I'm fine. A little shaken up, I guess. Though..."

She tilted her head slightly, inclining it towards him as she rested her arms on the tabletop. "I'm _technically_ supposed to... pretend it didn't happen."

Chōjūrō grimaced, shifted in his seat, and flushed just slightly in embarrassment. "R-right."

The silence this time was slightly more comfortable and they both looked down at the box of doughnuts, Sakura inwardly wondering who _else_ Zabuza had told.

She grimaced at the thought of suddenly getting a flustered, angry email from a concerned Haku, freaking out over the fact that she hadn't told him immediately.

But, this begged the question: how much, exactly, did Chōjūrō _know_?

Chōjūrō must have misinterpreted the grimace because he reached out suddenly, his hand stopping just barely an inch away from hers as he seemed to catch himself at the last moment. Sakura looked up in surprise and his nervous smile was more shy than awkward.

"If y-you need anything, Sakura, please, don't be afraid to contact me." He sat up slightly straighter before moving to stand, looking to her meaningfully. "It's my duty to keep the town and its residents safe."

Smiling, she stood as well and reached out to rest a hand on his arm, obviously the more confident of the two as she didn't pull back at the last second.

"Thank you, Chōjūrō. I really appreciate that."

Cheeks turning pink, he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand and let out a sheepish laugh.

"N-no thanks n-necessary!" He started to back towards the door, nodding to the bakery counter. "Y-you've got my number if you n-need it. Definitely try the, a-ah – the fritter!"

Nodding, she offered a wave, holding back an amuse snort as he tripped just slightly as he passed backwards through the door, box still held firmly in his hands and his face lighting up as he righted himself. The glass door closed and he let out a silent, flustered laugh from on the other side before rushing down the street, shoving his glasses up his nose and burying his face in his free hand.

Chuckling to herself, Sakura watched him leave before turning to the counter, smiling back at the amused baker.

 **::**

She ate her fritter and sandwich in the bakery before heading out, earbuds in as she started jogging down Mainstreet. Sakura did a little exploring on foot as she traveled through Kiri, passing through the residential area and down some of the other streets that were for the small, local businesses. When she'd finally tired herself out, she'd built a fairly accurate mental map of the town.

Sakura had passed by the diner just as it was opening for the morning, offering a wave to Mariko as the young woman flipped the _Closed_ sign to _Open_. She thought she saw Zabuza through one of the windows and briefly considered getting some free cocoa, but ultimately decided to pass.

Returning to her car, she sat and waited for the heater to warm up before heading back to Haku's, her gaze moving to the passing trees a little too often as she drove. But her jog had relaxed her and she didn't frown quite so deeply as the house came into view. Combing her fingers through her hair, Sakura slipped out of her car and made her way to the porch.

Only to pause at the sight of a box on the doormat.

She froze at the bottom of the steps up to the porch, staring at the box in confusion for a long moment before she glanced around. Hoping this wasn't some sort of prank, she carefully approached, nudging the box with her foot warily.

She hadn't seen anyone when she was driving up, so it must have been there for a while and, if her foot was any judge, whatever was inside was fairly weighty.

Sighing and inwardly hoping she wasn't making some huge mistake, Sakura crouched down and carefully opened the box.

She stared for a long, long moment as she realized she was looking at her camera case.

As in, the one she'd been using yesterday.

Confused as fuck and maybe a _little_ scared when she picked it up and realized it was suspiciously heavy, Sakura quickly unzipped the case and nearly dropped it when she, indeed, found her lost camera. Standing up straight, she tried to make sense of this development, quickly looking over her shoulder and back towards the treeline, just in case someone happened to be there. But, there was no one in sight and Sakura turned her attention back to the return of her camera.

The camera itself she knew, for a _fact_ , she had dropped in the water. And would have thought it lost for good.

 _How_ her mysterious benefactor had retrieved it was rather unnerving in itself but –

The thought made her pause, blinking in surprise.

She had a fairly good suspicion she knew _who_ had gotten her camera for her.

Zipping the case back up, she slung the strap over her shoulder and ran a finger over the buckle. The _case_ , however...

Sakura frowned to herself, trying to remember what had happened with the case. It'd been in the boat, hadn't it? She'd been just about to put the camera away when she'd been knocked in...

Her hand brushing her bruised side, she perked up at another thought. If the case had been in the boat, then _maybe_...

Rushing around the side of the house towards the small boathouse, Sakura eyed the looming lake warily but headed towards the little shack near the water. She hadn't ventured back outside once she got home yesterday and, indeed, the door was still unlocked.

And, inside, was the boat.

Hands on her hips, Sakura let out a surprised, thoughtful "Huh." Tapping her foot for a moment, she turned to leave, pausing once she was back outside and turning to look out over the lake, off towards the direction of one of the other houses surrounding it. The mist was too thick to see anything past a couple feet off the water, but she guessed she was looking the right way.

Seems like she had even more things to thank this Kisame guy for.

 **::**

 **notes:** okay so its been a year since I started this fic whoops

no joke, I had a fairly decent chunk of the beginning of this chapter written out on paper, but I lost it roughly 6 months ago and I loathe the thought of having to rewrite entire conversations so I put it off, lost muse for fic in general for a good while, and then finally got muse back

hope you enjoyed! and I hope it was worth the wait ;o; thanks for being patient!


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